


our thing

by babybel



Series: tumblr prompts [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, i also snuck in a little end of time foreshadowing, just a little new year's fic!! happy new year's!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28463214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babybel/pseuds/babybel
Summary: “You know,” Rose said, tucking the blanket tighter around her shoulders, “when you said you had something special in mind for New Year’s I didn’t think you meant Earth. Not in a million years. And it’s not even- about to blow up, or get overrun by big old-” She broke off, laughing. “Snake aliens or something, I dunno.”She leaned her shoulder against the Doctor's for a second, just a quick bump, and then back.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: tumblr prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084868
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	our thing

**Author's Note:**

> for an anon on tumblr :-)

“You know,” Rose said, tucking the blanket tighter around her shoulders, “when you said you had something special in mind for New Year’s I didn’t think you meant Earth. Not in a million years.” 

The Doctor looked over at her, popping the collar of his jacket against the chill. There was a vague sense of amusement on his face; he wasn’t quite smiling, but he wasn’t quite not smiling. 

“And it’s not even- about to blow up, or get overrun by big old-” Rose broke off, laughing. “Snake aliens or something, I dunno.” She leaned her shoulder into his for a second, just a quick bump, and then back. 

“Oh, come on. That’s not fair,” he said, his voice taking on that funny tone it did when he was pretending to be offended for the express purpose of making her laugh. 

They sat on the flat roof of a building, in Rose’s London. It could’ve been part of any old housing estate. It might’ve even been hers, not that she was in a huge hurry to go down and check. No, she was all set up here. Snow falling, just a little bit; wind whipping on by; her and the Doctor and a couple of blankets and the world. 

But when she looked at him, he was staring off at some faraway stars, at something she surely couldn’t identify, if she could even see it. His brows were pushed low over his eyes, and by the expression he wore she could tell that his voice would come tight if he spoke. 

“Hey,” she said, nudging him with her shoulder again. 

“Hey,” he echoed. He was looking at her now, out of the corner of his eye. 

She sucked her teeth, trying to plan out what to say carefully. “What did they call the money back on that planet? Where everyone was pink? Sort of a funny word; it’s right on the tip of my tongue. It’s killin’ me.”

“Bajooles, I think.”

“Right, yeah.” She smiled, and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. He always felt colder than another human would, but now he was even colder than usual, fingers icy in the winter air. She pressed his hand to her stomach and held it there with her own hand, hoping to warm him up some. “Bajool for your thoughts, then?”

“Ah.” He snorted. “Knew it wasn’t just for the sake of asking.” 

“Come on, though,” Rose said quietly. She didn’t like when he got like this, all faraway.

“You know how old I am.”

“Nine hundred and something, yeah.”

He nodded, raising his eyebrows and blinking, like hearing it aloud surprised him. “Do you know how many families I’ve had? Over all that time?”

Rose suddenly found herself feeling the cold more so than before. She knew there had been other people before her, of course she knew that. He’d just never called them families. “I thought you said you didn’t do families.” 

“Oh, no. Yeah, no, I don’t. I used to, though.” He squinted against the wind, and nodded again. “Yep.”

She was silent, knowing that if she said something now, he’d use it as a springboard for a deflection, and she’d end up covering no ground. Better to wait and to let him get through everything on his mind without a chance for an easy out. She did give his hand a quick squeeze, though. 

After another moment, he continued, “It’s just weird to think. It’s always weird on holidays. They’re all gone, you know.”

She found herself nodding. “Yeah,” she whispered. She hated seeing him sad; it broke her heart dead in two. Without meaning to, she added, “I’m here for you. I promise. I’m here with you, I mean. No matter what.” 

It was the Doctor that gave her hand a squeeze this time, and he was watching her fully now, not the stars, and not his memories. He looked hopeful, too.

And she meant it, was the thing. She wouldn’t let him go without family, even if just the two of them might be a far cry from what he was used to. She had no idea. All she knew was she was with him. The word  _ forever _ floated into her mind, and she agreed with it. “I’m just saying you’re not alone, that’s all.” 

He swallowed. “I know.” 

“Good.” She looked down over the city. “I just wanted to make sure you know you’ve got me.”

“Course I’ve got you.” There was a smile back in his voice, and he slipped his hand free of hers to throw an arm around her shoulder, pulling her tight to him. “Don’t know where I’d be without you.”

“Nowhere, or something,” she answered, laughing quietly.

“Nowhere, or something,” he repeated, having fun with her words. Then his smile dropped, and he was looking right at her. “Thank you, Rose.” His voice had gone soft.

“Of course,” she said, just as softly. “Maybe- I mean, you said holidays were-” She blew out a breath. “What I’m sayin’ is maybe New Year’s can be our thing.” 

After a moment, a grin broke out across his face. “Yeah.” Suddenly, he was moving, jumping to his feet. “Yeah, I like that. Every New Year’s it’ll be you and me. Here, hand up.” He held out the aforementioned hand down to her. 

Rose took it, holding her blanket around her shoulders with her free hand as she was pulled to her feet. 

Together, they looked out over London.

“Happy New Year’s, Rose,” he said.

Rose was still holding his hand, and she swung their arms back and forth just a little, rubbing her thumb over his. She smiled. “Happy New Year’s.” 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr [@lesbiandonnanoble](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/lesbiandonnanoble)


End file.
